Phone answering Every plan
Missed calls answered in your business name, 24/7, with the details in your inbox within a minute.
AI receptionist for US small businesses
The phone rings while you're on a job. We answer it.
You're in a crawl space, on a roof or driving to the next job, and the caller hangs up and tries the next company. While You Work answers in your business name, 24 hours a day, takes the details and emails them to you within a minute. Plans from $39 a month.
Get early access US sign-ups open in November. The first 50 US businesses get Pro for $59 a month for 12 months. 14-day money-back guarantee, no contract.
Or call (866) 977-5432, toll-free, and hear Ellie, our own receptionist, answer.
The basics
Every call answered, every hour, for one monthly price
24/7
Nights, weekends and holidays answered at the same price
1 min
From the caller hanging up to the details in your inbox
$39
A month on Starter, priced per call, not per minute
14 days
Money-back guarantee from the day your line goes live
How it works
Keep your number. Forward the calls you miss.
Tell us about your business
Name, hours, the area you cover, the work you do and the work you don't. It takes about ten minutes.
Turn on call forwarding
Dial one code on your cell. Calls you don't answer go to your local While You Work number. Codes for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Call people back
Each call arrives by email within a minute and as a phone notification, with the caller's details, a summary and the recording.
It answers at night, on weekends and on holidays at the same price. See our after-hours answering service, or the whole process step by step.
Who it is for
Set up for the trade you're in
A plumber needs different questions from a cleaning company. You pick your trade when you sign up and the assistant asks what that trade needs to know.
What you get
Every way customers reach you, one receptionist
Every plan answers the phone. Pro adds urgent call transfer and website chat, and Business adds calendar booking, email replies and Facebook and Instagram messages. Every channel shares the same knowledge of your business, so the answer is the same whether someone calls, messages or emails.
Urgent calls Pro and Business
Urgent callers put through to your cell, and marked URGENT in your inbox if you cannot pick up.
Website chat Pro and Business
A chat window on your website that answers questions and takes details for a callback while you are on a job.
Calendar booking Business
Estimate visits and regular jobs booked into your calendar on the call, from the times you are actually free.
Email replies Business
Enquiry emails answered in minutes with the right questions asked, and drafts for anything that needs you.
Facebook and Instagram Business
Facebook and Instagram messages answered right away, because that is where a lot of local work starts.
Text alerts to you, and a text summary to your callers, come later in the US: carriers require businesses to register before sending texts, and ours is in progress. Until then you get every call by email and app notification.
What the caller hears
Your business name, then the questions you would ask
"Hi, you've reached Mike's Plumbing. I'm Ellie, their AI assistant. This call is recorded so they get your details right. How can I help?"
- Gets the caller's name, cell number, address and zip code
- Reads the number back so you never call back a wrong number
- Asks what the job is and how soon they need someone
- Puts urgent callers through to your cell, if you switch that on
- Ends sales calls politely so they never reach your inbox
- Never makes up a price. It gives your rates only if you tell it to
Pricing
Three plans, priced per call, not per minute
A call counts once however long it lasts, up to 10 minutes. No contract, and a 14-day money-back guarantee from the day your line goes live.
Founding offer: the first 50 businesses in the US get Pro for $59 a month for their first 12 months, then $79.
Prices are before any state sales tax. US sign-ups open in November.
Questions
Straight answers
Will callers know it is an AI?
Yes. Every call starts with the assistant saying it is an AI assistant for your business and that the call is recorded. Some states require everyone on a call to agree to recording, and callers can be anywhere, so we say it on every call.
Do I need a new phone number?
No. You keep your cell number. You set up call forwarding so the calls you do not pick up go to a local number we give you. On AT&T and T-Mobile that is one code. On Verizon it is *71 and the number.
Will it text me?
Not yet in the US. Text alerts need carrier registration, which is under way. Until then you get every call by email within a minute and as a notification on your phone.
Is there a contract?
No. Pay monthly and cancel any time. Every plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee from the day your line goes live. The first 50 US businesses get Pro for $59 a month for their first 12 months.
When can I sign up?
US sign-ups open in November. Email us for early access and we will write back when your place is ready.
Hear it for yourself
Talk to Ellie, our own receptionist
Ask her anything, as if you were one of your customers. She answers our own line 24/7, so you can hear exactly what your callers would hear.
Want to be one of the first 50? Get early access